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Best Economics Colleges in California 2026

California State University-Bakersfield leads this ROI ranking with an A+ value grade and a 26.10 school-wide ROI proxy. EduGradify ranks 25 eligible colleges here by earnings against net price.

98 eligible California colleges reporting awards in Economics, ranked by EduGradify's school-wide value signal.

Schools ranked
25
Cheapest net price
$4,669
Top earnings 10y
$128,566
Public / Private
23 / 2

How we picked this list

This list starts with California schools reporting awards in Economics, excludes low-denominator, very small and incomplete records, then sorts by EduGradify's school-wide ROI proxy: ten-year median earnings weighed against average net price. The eligible set's average EduGradify ROI proxy is 20.53 (23 public, 2 private).

ROI lists require average net price of at least $4,600, enrollment of at least 500 and a reported graduation rate so unusually small denominators or incomplete records cannot dominate the public leaderboard.

Source transparency: every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard public data set. See our full methodology for the ROI formula, value grade rules and missing-data handling.

Related lists

All EduGradify rankings → All California colleges → All Economics colleges → Highest ROI colleges nationwide →Cheapest US colleges →Best public colleges by ROI →Best private colleges by ROI →Best California colleges by ROI →Cheapest California colleges →

FAQ

Who leads this ranking?

California State University-Bakersfield in Bakersfield, CA tops this ranking. EduGradify value grade is A+.

How does EduGradify pick this list?

We rank this set by roi proxy using the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard — see our methodology for the full formula. No paid placements, no surveys.

How many California colleges are in this list?

98 California colleges qualified for this ranking based on available federal data.

What does net price mean here?

Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — not the sticker price. It is reported by each college to the U.S. Department of Education.

Can I use this ranking as a final college decision?

Use it as a shortlist, not a final decision. The ranking compares school-wide federal data; you should still confirm program fit, aid letters, graduation path, transfer policies and current costs with each college.